Expansion closure plug



Dec. 25, 1951 A. R. MOWHERTER EXPANSION CLDSURE PLUG Filed April 28, 1947 Fie. 5

v 12 r/AW\"`\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"\\\\\\\\\\wy l lo r /I' (l W A Cin'ventor Archibald Rag Mcwheer Bg u mvv-CIM@ Clttomegs Patented Dec. 25, 1951 UNITEDppirSTATES PATENTr OFFICE i EXPANSION oLosURE PLUG s Archibald Ray McWherter, Peoria, Ill. Application April 2s, 1947, serial No. 744,461

6 Claims. (Cl. 220-24.5)

This invention relates to expansion closure plugs and has particular relation to a novel, improved compressible or deformable closure disk which is readily adapted for use as a blow-out plug in an opening in the block of an internal combustion engine.

It is well known to provide a blow-out plug or expansion disk for an opening provided one. water jacket of an internalV combustion `engine so that when the water or other liquid in4 the water jacket freezes and expands, theblow-out plug will be forced outwardly,thereby permitting the solidifying liquid to further expand out of the opening and releasing pressure on the solidifying liquid. The blow-out plug actsras `a safety valve to prevent the water jacket and motor block from being cracked by the force of expansion of the solidifying liquid.

Previous blow-out plugs conventionally comprise a concave metal disk which ispositioned in the outer annular shoulder of a water jacket opening with the concave side `iacingthe open4 ing. 'Ihe blow-out plug is normally press-fitted into the annular shoulder by dimpling `the outer,

convex side with a hammer blow, thereby expanding the plug or Adisk to iit snugly and be crimped against the annular shoulder. Due to modern automotive design, the motor` block `has become increasingly inaccessible `and it has become extremely diicult, if not impossible, torine-` .chanics to install the conventional plug, one reason being that there is insuiiicient space betweenA the motor and the sides of the vehicle to permit striking a hammer blow of suiiicient force to properly dimple the plug. Moreover, dueto such inaccessibility and lack of `working space it` is often necessary for the mechanic to strike a num ber of hammer blows thereby causing an insecure and distorted press `fit between the plug andthe shoulder of the opening.

An object of the present invention is to provide an expansion closure plug which is adapted for use as a blow-out plug for installation in anA opening in the block or Water jacketof an in-` ternal combustion engine. i s

Another object `of the invention is to provide a compressible or deformable closure plug which may be dimpled and expanded in the block open,

ing without the necessity of using a hammer blow, Still another object of the invention is to provide an expansion closure plug which may be compressed and expandedby locking means forming,

These and other objects of the invention willV be readily understood by reference to thefollosv@ f It hat? been found that. l the dimmi 2 ing description and accompanying drawing, in which Fig. l is a sectional view showing a closure plug embodying the present invention placed in the annular shoulder or" a motor block opening prior to s installation; y

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the closure plug after being installed by compression and expansion; l

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a conventional type blow-out plug shown prior to installation.;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the conventional blow-out plug as installed by dimpling;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a modified form of the presentinvention, and y i s Fig. 6 is a sectional View showing a further embodiment of the present invention. s

Referringnow to the drawing, there is shown a cylinder plug l0 provided with an annular opening having an outer annular inset shoulder, l2. In the embodiment shown, the expansion closure plug 2|) comprises an annular closure disk 2| having a concave face 2 2, a convex face 23, a central opening 24 and an outer edge or periphery 25.` Positioned in the central opening 24 is the locking means in the form oi' a lock member or bolt 39 preferably provided with a washer 3 I. In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2, the head of the bolt 30 is positioned opposite the concave face 22 of the closure disk 2 I. It will be apparent that the face 23 need not be convex in shape.

A locking disk 40 is threadably mounted on the bolt 30. The locking disk 4I] is provided with a face 4|, which may be either concave or flat (not shown), and a threaded central opening 42. The locking disk is designed to have an outer periphery 43 which is of smaller dimension than the outer periphery 25 of the closure disk 2|. The locking disk 40 is mounted on the locking member 30 so that its concave face 4| is adjacent to and opposing the concave face 22 of the closure disk 2l.

One feature of the invention is that the locking disk 43 is constructed to possess the property of being relatively incompressible and deformable with respect to the relatively compressib'le and deformable closure disk 2|. Thus, when the deformableclosure disk 2| is, drawn against the relatively `non-deformable locking disk 40, the closure disk 2| may be deformed to expand and dirnple,A whereas the llocking disk will remain rigid and retain its shape.

In operation, when the locking member 3U is threaded "intovrthe locking disk 40, the portion of theclosure disk 2| adjacent the locking disk is drawn against the concave face 4| oi the lock ing. disk. .thereby dimplingwthe closure disk 2| at its point of s Contact with the `locking disk, This.

compressing and dimpIing-citHecioSure disk 2| causes it to expands/o `that the outer periphl'y is snugly laiidsecurely pr'esstitted ,against Phatf img il.

maybe improved by providingtlie locking disk insllsillder 2 of the motor block Y 3. with a serrated contact portion 44 to increase frictional engagement between the lockingV disk 130 and the concave face 22 ofthe closure disk 2|. Y It will be apparent that the degree of compression, expansion and dimpling may be conon the other end of said locking member, said trolled readily by the number of turns applied n to the bolt 30. ThisV results in the advantage that the desired degree of press-nt may be Vobtained..

In the embodiment shown in Figure 5 the locking member 3l] isprovided with a nut 32 and is positioned so that the nut 32 is on the outside of the opening and availableto the mechanic for tightening, the head 33 of the bolt being adjacent the locking disk 40, It will be apparent that whenV the nut 32 is tightened toward the head of the bolt, the closure disk 2l will be compressed, expanded and dimpled against the concave face of the locking disk 40.

' In a further embodiment of the present in- ,apparent that as the nut 32 is tightened, the

closure disk 2| will be comp-ressed, expanded and dimpled against the concave face ofthe locking disk Ml. Y It will be apparent also that suitable washers Vmay be utilized to prevent leakage.

While the invention has been shown anddescribedV in its preferred embodiments, changes and modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the Vart and it is, therefore, my intent to cover all such changes and modifications Yas fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. An expansion closure plug comprising, Vin combination, a permanently deformable closure disk provided with a concave face and a central opening, a relatively non-deformable locking disk provided with a concave face and having an appreciably smaller diameter than that of said closure disk, and a threaded locking member extending through said opening,k said disks being mounted on said locking member with their concave faces opposing one another, and means cooperating with said threaded locking member for drawing the disk members together, to deform said closure disk whereby the central portion of its concave face becomes convex and is in contact with the concave face of the locking disk.

closure disk being mounted on said locking member with its concave face opposing the concave face ofthe locking disk portion, said locking member being adapted for cooperative movement with said nut for drawing said disk members together, to permanently deform said closure disk whereby the central portion of its concave face becomes convex and is in contact with the concave face of theV locking disk. p

4. An expansion Vclcisureplug comprising, in combination, a Vpermanently deformable Vclosure disk provided'with a concave face and a central opening, a relatively non-deformable locking disk having an appreciably smaller diameter than that of said Vclosure disk, and a threaded locking member extending through'said opening, said disks being mounted on said locking member with the edge of the locking disk in abutment with the concave face of the closure disk, and means cooperating with said locking member for draw-I ing thedisk members together to permanently Vdeform said closure disk whereby the centralportion of its concave face becomes convex and is Y in contact with the concave face of the locking l disk.

5. An expansion closure plug comprising, in combination, a deformable closure disk provided with a concave face and a central opening, a

relatively non-deformable locking disk. provided 2. An expansion closure plug comprising, in

. combination, a permanently deformable closure contact with the concave face. of the ,locking disk. 1 Y

3. An expansion closure plug comprising, in combinationb@permanently deformable closure disk-provided with a concaveiage and a centralv Opening, a threaded locking mernbrextending through said opening, said locking member te?" minating at one end in aV relatively non-deofm' able locking diskportion having a concavefa with a concave face and having an appreciably smaller diameter than that of said closure disk.

- and a threaded locking member extending through saidv opening, said 'disks being mounted on said locking member with their concave faces opposing Vo ne another, and means cooperating with said threaded locking member for drawing the disk members together, to deforni said closure disk.

6. A detachable closure seal for circular bore holes terminating atia shoulder comprising a dishedV sealing member formed of nexible sheet material adapted to be inserted in the bore hole with the convex side outwardly and the marginal portion of the member positioned Aupon the shoulder, said sealing member being formed with a Vcentral aperture only and being otherwise im perforate, a rigid, non-iiexing disk of a diam,-

V eter less than the shouldered portion of the hole engaging the concave side ofrsaid sealing'mem'- ber in spaced relation from the periphery thereof, screw meansV carried by said rigid disk and ca tending through said central aperture in the seal-- Y ing member and being cooperable when tightened Number Name Date 911,380 Comings Feb. V2, 1909' 1,801,006 Jacoby Apr. 14,1931 2,093,149 Lee'V Sept. 14, 1937 2,284,301 Rieser May 26, 1942 'FOREIGN PATENTS Number Countlyv' Datef geen 

